Friends
by tomboy101
Summary: This is a drabble series set in an AU about how Kagome met the friends that would stay with her throughout her entire life. They've been there for her through the good times and the bad. Through joy and sorrow, sickness and in health-wow it sounds like she's married to them. Enjoy!
1. 1st Grade

**Tomboy101:**** A quick note before anyone gets any ideas: I do not own InuYasha nor have I read/watched every book/episode. Another thing to say: those of you who are irritated I'm writing this instead of working on my other stories, this drabble series is purely being written so I can work through my writer's block. That means that these drabbles are being written to _help_ _me _with my other stories so quit your whining. With that being said: please enjoy!**

_**Elementary School**_

**1****st**** Grade**

"Leave me alone!" A little girl, no older than six years old, with big blue eyes, shoulder length thick black hair, and peach colored skin stood with her back pressed against the trunk of a large tree in the middle of Fuji Elementary School's playground. Three boys, all bigger than her, smirked down at her as they crowded around her. The little girl, name of Higurashi Kagome, was one of the few ningen who attended Fuji Elementary and as such was an easy target for the meaner youkai, like these panther cubs.

Today was young Kagome's first day of public school, even though it was two months after school had officially started. Up until today she had been homeschooled because she had so much reiki she had to learn how to control it before she was deemed safe. Little Kagome hadn't really minded. Kindhearted and loving by nature, Kagome didn't want to hurt anyone by accident, especially her adopted little brother Shippo who was a kitsune-youkai. Still, she had been excited to go to a real school…until these bullies had cornered her. "Leave me alone!" she repeated, louder.

Poor little Kagome was terrified of these big boys. They were older than her, third graders, and she was only in first grade. Tears sprang to her eyes as one of the meanies reached for her blue Little Mermaid backpack which she was holding tight to her chest. "Watcha got there?" he sneered.

Kagome jerked away, tears springing to her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. She could feel her reiki trying to get away from her. She was scared and her natural reaction was to shove the bigger boys away from her but she couldn't. She knew that if she touched them right now they'd get hurt. Kagome didn't want to hurt them she just wanted them to leave her alone.

"Hey!" a loud voice yelled.

The three boys and Kagome looked around.

A silver-haired boy—inu-youkai, Kagome decided—with a crescent moon on his forehead, maroon stripes on his cheeks and dark gold eyes was walking towards them. He looked angry and his yoki was flaring dangerously. Even though he didn't seem to be older than seven the three panther-youkai fled like cockroaches in a spotlight. Kagome slumped to the ground in relief. The boy came up to Kagome and crouched down in front of her. "You alright?" he asked.

Kagome nodded vigorously, adoration in her eyes. The silver haired boy was so handsome in her eye she thoughts. He had saved her. He was so brave to have challenged those three boys and all by himself. They could have beaten him up but the boy hadn't seemed to notice that he could have been hurt. He was _amazing_!

"What's your name?" the boy asked as he sat cross-legged in front of her.

"Higurashi Kagome," Kagome said with a tentative smile but she still refused to relinquish the death grip she had on her Little Mermaid backpack. "Thank you so much for helping me. What's your name?"

"Tetsuki Sesshomaru. What grade are you in?"

"I'm in first grade. What about you?"

Sesshomaru puffed his chest up a little bit. "I'm in second grade."

Kagome's eyes went wide and she loosened her grip on her backpack a little. Second grade? Wow, Sessho-kun was a big kid. No wonder he wasn't afraid of those bullies. "That's so cool!"

Sesshomaru smiled, not a really big one, it was actually very small but it did manage to quirk the side of his mouth up ever so slightly. For some reason he was pleased with himself for impressing her. Not that it was really that hard for him to do. He was the first son of Inu no Taisho, Taiyoukai of the West. He did wonder why she was having the affect she was on him. He stowed the troubling thought away for consideration at a later date. "I don't think I've seen you before. Is it your first day?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome nodded. "Ah-huh. I was homeschooled before."

Sesshomaru blinked in surprise. He knew what homeschooling was, of course, but he'd never met a kid who was homeschooled. "That musta been…fun?" Sesshomaru couldn't imagine anything like homeschooling and fun being in any way connected. He shuddered at the mere thought of being taught by his parents.

Kagome nodded enthusiastically and uncurled from around her backpack entirely, letting it just sit in her lap. "Yeah," she said, a big grin spreading across her face. "Okaa-san taught me all my letters and stuff and Ojii-san taught me and my little sissy how to control our reiki. Sissy goes here too. She's in Kind-garten. Is that how you say it? I don't think it is. Me'n Sissy had a lotta fun with Souta and Shippo. What about you? Do you have any brothers or sissy's?"

Sesshomaru watched the young girl as she talked and talked. He hadn't thought such a small girl would have so many words in her. Apparently he was wrong. Now she was looking up at him expectantly, her bright blue-gray eyes looking up at him in eager anticipation. "I have one brother and two sisters. InuYasha and TanaYasha are twins. They're five. Rin is my other sister. She's one."

"Wow. You got a big fam'ly."

Sesshomaru grunted but Kagome just smiled.

"Hey! Sesshy!"

Kagome stuck her head out to peer behind Sesshomaru while her new friend just sighed. A silver-haired and dog-eared girl with darker gold eyes than Sesshomaru was running towards them, the big grin on her face revealing dog-like fangs. A boy who had to be her twin followed closely behind her. "Tana," Sesshomaru sighed. He twisted around just in time for Tana's behind-the-back hug to turn into a full frontal tackle.

"Hi Sesshy!" the little five-year-old girl giggled. "Ooh, who's your friend?" Tana peered at Kagome with dancing amber eyes, her grin still plastered on her face. The boy version of Tana looked at Kagome curiously too as he sat down beside Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru adjusted to make himself more comfortable as Tana sprawled across his lap. Kagome smiled. "Hi! I'm Kagome! What's your name?"

"I'm Tana," Tana said, still smiling, now comfortable ensconced in Sesshomaru's lap. "That's my brofer Yasha."

Kagome grinned happily. She could feel that this was the beginning of a beautiful, probably crazy friendship.


	2. 6th Grade

_**Middle School**_

**6****th**** Grade**

Kagome looked around Shikon Middle School's cafeteria, shifting her weight back and forth nervously. It was her first day of middle school and it was starting to have an uncanny resemblance to her first day of elementary school: she was completely alone, didn't seem to have any friends and there were a whole bunch of people looking at her like she was crazy. Already she was lamenting the age difference that kept Kikyo, TanaYasha, and InuYasha in 5th grade and the zoning policies that had all of her other friends attending different middle schools.

She hadn't thought it would be this scary being surrounded by a whole bunch of unfamiliar people. The blue-eyed eleven-year-old was friendly by nature and she had thought that, since she was going to school with Sesshomaru again, things wouldn't be too terrible. Oh how she had been wrong.

Sesshomaru had hung out with her before the first bell rang; he had even walked her to her first class. That had been the last she'd seen of him. Before he left her at her first class—Language Arts—he had told her that they wouldn't be able to have lunch together because, as a seventh grader, he had a different lunch time than her. Sesshomaru had assured her that she wouldn't have any trouble making friends though. His encouragement had been what had gotten her through her first three classes but now it was lunchtime and everyone was breaking off into their own groups, leaving her to stand awkwardly by the cafeteria door. Black haired, blue-eyed, pale, shorter than average, a little heavier than most, with brand new shiny silver metal in her mouth, Kagome felt that was the classic dork that no one wanted to be friends with. The thought left her sad and lonely.

Kagome scuffed her sneaker clad foot against the speckled tile and bit her lip. What was she going to do? She didn't want to just go sit by somebody and then have them get up and move away from her. How embarrassing would that be?

Kagome had just come to the conclusion that her only course of action was to leave the cafeteria and go spend her lunch hour in the library when a taller brunette came up to her. "Need somewhere to sit?" the ponytailed girl asked.

Kagome was taken by surprise but nodded emphatically. The other girl smiled and linked arms with her. "Come on. This way. My name's Matsakowa Sango, by the way," she said as she steered Kagome through clumps of students and cafeteria tables to a table off to the side where a black haired, violet-eyed boy was sitting. "This is my friend Hiroshi Miroku."

Kagome smiled nervously as she sat beside Sango. She could feel Miroku's spiritual energy floating around him like barely-there fog. He must be a houshi, she decided. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Matsakowa-kun, Hiroshi-kun. I am Higurashi Kagome."  
"You mustn't be so formal, Kagome-san," Miroku said with a great big smile. "Please, call me Miroku."

Sango nodded. "Hai. And I'm Sango, just Sango."

Kagome's smile widened. "Then I am Kagome, just Kagome."

Miroku smiled mischievously and snatched Kagome's hand up from where it had been resting on the cafeteria table. "Lady Kagome, won't you do me the honor of bearing my children."

Kagome's eyes shot open wide. "Nani?" she squeaked.

Sango was on her feet in seconds and slapped Miroku so hard he toppled out his chair and fell on the floor. One eyebrow twitching, she calmly sat back down. "Ignore the hentai, Kagome," she told the still frozen-in-shock girl. "He saw a guy use that line in an anime to get the girl so he thinks that if he asks it to every girl he sees that it'll work eventually."

Kagome blinked. There really was nothing she could say to such a…weird thing.

"He's not that bad, really," Sango added.

Kagome nodded "I guess you've known him for a while?"

Sango nodded. "My whole life. He lives next door to me, baka hentai," she glanced down at Miroku's unconscious form. "We've been best friends since we were babies."

Kagome looked at Miroku too. He still hadn't moved since Sango knocked him to the floor. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Sango waved her question off. "Come one. Let's eat."

Kagome glanced down at the unconscious houshi one more time. For some reason she liked Miroku—in a completely friendly way of course—and she wanted to be friends with Sango. The pair of them were really cool. Deciding she'd rather not make a big fuss out of it Kagome proceeded to dig her bento box lunch out of her black and pink backpack.

For every day that week and for the rest of their middle school careers Kagome, Sango and Miroku ate lunch together, developing an unbreakable friendship.


	3. 9th grade

_**High School**_

**9****th**** Grade**

Kagome was beyond excited. Today was her first day at Shikon Senior High School. She mentally squealed at the thought. She was finally in high school! She'd thought that this day would never come! So far she had already signed up to try out for the Archery Team and she had the utmost confidence she would make it, she had been practicing the bow and arrow since she was ten after all as part of her training as a traditional miko. Sure she was a little sad that, as when she had moved on to middle school, she had been forced to leave TanaYasha, InuYasha and her little sister Kikyo behind but it was okay this time because she had come into high school with friends rather than being completely on her own like in middle school. In fact, there was one of her friends now.

"Hey, Sango!" Kagome called to her brunette friend, waving her arm so that her taller friend could see her through the crowd piling into the cafeteria. Sango's brown eyes caught sight of her waving hand and the tomboy immediately started making her way through the crowd. As was Sango's nature, anyone who didn't move at her polite "Excuse me" quickly found themselves being shoved rather roughly to the side with a forceful "Move!" Senior football players were cowed by the irritated glare coming from the freshman who was almost as tall as they were at a lithe 5'7".

"Hey midget!" Sango teased with a bright smile when she finally reached her 5'3" friend.

Kagome just rolled her eyes. She had long since come to the conclusion that Sango was crazy and that she might as well just accept her nickname. "How's your morning been so far?" she asked instead.

"Crap-tacular," Sango joked. "I had Algebra 1 first thing with the hentai first thing. You can just imagine how that was. For one, it was math at 8AM, which was murder, and then you add that perverted monk and you get hell."

Kagome laughed. Contrary to Sango's constant denials, Kagome knew that her tomboy friend was so in love with the third part of their trio, Hoshi Miroku, that it was almost pathetic. Of course, it didn't help that, as Sango had said, Miroku was a pervert, and not just any pervert, oh no, he was the King of All Perverts. As a joke last year she and Sango had even made him a crown out of yellow cardboard paper and glitter glue with the words "Pervert King" scrawled across the front. Needless to say, they quickly regretted it when he refused to take it off for three days straight.

"Does he have lunch with us?" Kagome asked.

"Nope," Sango replied, popping the "p". "What about your friend Sesshomaru? You said he went to this school right and that he said he'd see you today."

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen him today. He wanted to give me a ride but my mom wanted to drop me off instead. So…"

Sango nodded. She knew that Kagome had a very large crush on her childhood guy best friend just like Kagome knew that Sango had a crush on Miroku even though neither had ever confessed to such. It was a best friend intuition thing she figured. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere," she assured her pretty nerd friend. "Come on, let's go find a table."

Together the two freshmen—freshwomen really—made their way through the chaos that was the high school lunchroom. When they finally spotted an empty half of a long table they made a beeline for it. They quickly claimed it as theirs and started unpacking their lunches. Sango's mom who came from America had packed her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a bag of potato chips, a bottle of water and an orange. Kagome's mother had, in contrast, packed her a bento box filled with oden, one of Kagome's favorite dishes. Kagome grinned like a mad child when she saw her lunch and immediately dug in with her chopsticks.

She was halfway done chewing her first mouthful when a black haired boy, probably a year older than them, with very creepy red cat eyes came up to them. Kagome froze, looking up at him with her mouth still half full. She really wasn't sure what to say. What if they had taken his table? What would he do? Would he make them get up and leave? Oh no! He would make them get up and leave, Kagome was sure, how embarrassing!

Sango had looked up too when the boy walked over to their table. Unlike Kagome she didn't freeze at the sight of the older boy. "Can I help you?" she demanded.

The red-eyed boy sneered. "Yeah. Is one of you Higurashi Kagome?"

Sango frowned and glanced at Kagome. Kagome quickly swallowed her oden. "Um, yeah, that's me."

The boy looked Kagome up and down and snorted. "Well you're not much to look at but he's such a weirdo I guess it doesn't matter."

Kagome blushed crimson. Sango glowered. "What do you want?" she snapped.

The boy ignored here and instead turned around and hollered into the crowd, "Hey, Ice King! Over here!"

Sango opened her mouth, probably to yell at the boy, but stopped when Kagome jumped up and threw herself onto a silver haired boy who had magically appeared out of the crowd. "Sesshy!" Kagome yelled as she hugged the oxygen out of his lungs.

Sango looked Kagome's male best friend up and down. She had never actually met the inu-youkai but she had seen pictures of him. Needless to say those pictures didn't do him justice. He was ten times more gorgeous in real life than in the hundreds of pictures Kagome had of him and her and his siblings and him in her room. Silver waist length hair, golden eyes, magenta markings on his cheeks, perfect skin, perfect nose, perfect lips. Yep, Sango could easily see how Kagome could fall in love with this youkai specimen. In fact, if the taijiya descendent wasn't already in love with Miroku she could see herself falling for Tetsuki Sesshomaru too.

"Hey Kags," Sesshomaru said, hugging the much shorter girl back. The red-eyed boy raised a single eyebrow. As far as he was concerned this was the most emotion his best friend had ever shown, ever.

Finally, Kagome and Sesshomaru released each other. The red-eyed boy took this as his opportunity and swooped between them. "Hello, my dear," he said in what Kagome assumed the thought was a smooth voice but unfortunately for him Miroku had him beat by a mile, "my name is Onigumo Naraku."

Kagome smiled shyly. "Hello, Naraku-kun. I'm Higurashi Kagome." Subtly Kagome tried to feel out exactly what kind of youkai Naraku was. What she found made her want to shriek. Kagome pulled her hand out of Naraku's grasp as quickly as she could without offending him and edged towards Sesshomaru. She _hated_ spiders!


	4. 10th Grade

_**High School**_

**10****th**** Grade**

Kagome sighed as she made her way home from school. It was the middle of February and there was snow still falling from the clouded sky. Today had been a rough day, what with three quizzes and a test Kagome felt worn to the bone. It also didn't help that her backpack felt like it weighted 40lbs and she had to walk home because her best friend and ride, Tetsuki Sesshomaru, had had to stay after school for a Student Council meeting. Sesshomaru was the Student Council Vice President and in line to take over next year from Student Council President Shichi Suikotsu next year when he became a senior. Usually she would have gotten a ride home from one of her other friends but they were all busy too. Sango had Boxing practice, Miroku had Photography Club, the twins TanaYasha and InuYasha had Kendo Club and her little sister Kikyo had Cheerleading try-outs or else she would have walked home with her. As it was, Kagome was completely alone for the first time in what felt like weeks and she wasn't really sure how she felt about it.

Kagome turned a corner and, completely lost in he own thoughts as she was, didn't see the group of boys standing in her way until she ran into one of them. The collision made her step back in surprise with an "oomph." She looked up and saw that it was one of the larger football players and some of his other linebacker friends. He turned to her and sneered. "Watch where you're going, girlie."

Kagome smiled. "Sorry," she said and moved to step around him. As she edged around their circle she noticed that there seemed to be someone in the center of their circle. From what she could see through the gaps the linebacker's very large bodies left it looked like they had backed the much smaller, much more feminine looking male into a corner. Kagome frowned. She knew their victim by sight. He was Shichi Jakotsu. She had never actually talked to him but she knew he was in her grade and considered the class freak. He was very feminine, a cross-dresser, wore make-up and very, very gay. It didn't take genius to figure out what was going on.

Kagome remembered clearly how she had been bullied by those panther-youkai her first day in elementary school. If not for Sesshomaru she would have been their victim for the rest of her life. As it was, Sesshomaru had saved her and protected her until she learned to stand on her own two feet. Well, now was the time to repay that act of kindness with one of her own.

Kagome pushed through the linebackers and grabbed Jakotsu's wrist. "Shichi-chan!" she said loudly. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you. C'mon, let's go." She started pulling him behind her out of the circle the football players had made around him.

"Hey, wait a minute!" One of the boys said. "We weren't done with him." He placed his big, fat hand on her shoulder.

Kagome's stormy blue eyes snapped up to him. He was a wolf-youkai. She wasn't the helpless six-year-old barely in control. She could handle youkai now. Kagome sent a small jolt of reiki into his hand where it touched her shoulder, just enough to hurt and barely enough to burn. He jerked his hand back with a yelp. "You were saying?" she asked. Her voice was cold and dangerous. At sixteen Kagome had zero tolerance for bullies. The other boys, all of whom were youkai, had sensed the reiki she usually kept tightly under wraps and immediately backed off. None of them tried to stop her as she pulled Jakotsu behind her and on up the street.

When they finally turned the corner she released his wrist and turned to face him. "You ok?" she asked.

Jakotsu was staring at her like she was out of her mind. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why'd you do that?" he asked.

Kagome shrugged. "Someone needed to. I'm Higurashi Kagome, by the way, but you can call Kagome or 'Gome or whatever you want."

"I know who you are. You're best friends with the Tetsukis. That InuYasha is absolutely _gorgeous._ I'm so jealous of you Kagome-chan! You actually get to play with those scrumptious puppy ears of his! What do they feel like?"

Kagome almost sweat-dropped at this completely unexpected barrage of barely understood words. "Um, well, his ears…they're uh…soft?"

"Honey, you and I are gonna be the best of friends! I'll see you at school tomorrow!" And with that the colorfully dressed boy flounced off leaving Kagome in shock. She watched him go and the only thing that she could think was, _Do you think he'll teach me how to do my eye make-up like that?_

The next morning Kagome entered the school grounds and was immediately glomped by a taller but thinner-than-her body wearing a bright pink v-neck and skinny jeans. "Kag-chan!" Jakotsu yelled in delight. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you honey. Where have you been?" He didn't wait for her to answer, "Come on. There's some people you've just _got_ to meet."

Jakotsu then proceeded to drag her over to a corner of the school yard usually reserved for the Shichi Brothers, the scariest group of boys in the entire school. There were rumors that Bankotsu, the youngest, was the leader of a gang and that the biggest one, Kyokotsu, was a _cannibal. _Of course, Kagome knew that they were just rumors but that logic really didn't help quell the fear rising in her stomach as Jakotsu stopped in front of his brothers. "Guys," he cried excitedly, "remember that _fabulous_ girl I was telling you about? Well, this is Higurashi Kagome, but you can just call her Kag-chan, I do."

Kagome waived feebly as Jakotsu beamed at her. "Kag-chan, these devilishly handsome young men are my brothers. Go ahead and stare, they know they're gorgeous. That's Kyokotsu, Bankotsu, Renkotsu, Suikotsu, Ginkotsu, and Mukotsu." As each one was introduced they either waved or nodded their head, according to their nature.

Kagome tried to smile but truthfully, she was terrified. These boys made her more nervous than Sesshomaru's guy best friend Onigumo Naraku and he was a _spider_-youkai. She was terrified of spiders! "H-hi."

The one she knew by sight as Bankotsu looked her up and down, his expression serious. "So," he said slowly, "heard you helped Jak out yesterday. Thanks."

"Oh," Kagome chuckled nervously, "that's alright. I just did what anyone would do."

Bankotsu snorted. "If that's what helps you sleep at night." He went back to the notebook he seemed to be drawing in. Jak's other brothers nodded to her but returned to their own conversations. Kagome shuffled her feet. She felt so awkward to be standing where she was sure no one else in the school had ever stood before, in a circle with the Shichi brothers as one of them rather than one of their victims then again, Kagome cast a glance at Suikotsu, their Student-Body-President brother was there so it couldn't be all that bad. Kagome looked around the circle again. They were acting like normal high school boys. They didn't have knives or any other scary delinquent weapons as far as she could see.

Kagome felt herself relaxing. Jak was here and obviously he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. Kagome peered across the circle to Bankotsu's notebook. "What are you drawing Bankotsu-kun?" she asked.

Bankotsu looked up, his black bangs covering the purple diamond mark on his forehead that marked him as a mage. "Nothing," he said gruffly.

Kagome frowned. From what she could tell at the angle she was looking the drawing wasn't "nothing". He seemed to have put a lot of detail into it. Kagome decided to try her luck. "Sure it is," she said sarcastically, "and my uncle is a monkey."

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow. "Wow, those must be some interesting family reunions. Does he pick the bugs out of your hair or does your mother do that?"

Kagome smirked and shifted her weight and put her hand on her hip. "No, I learned how to do that for myself a couple of years ago. It really improved my personal hygiene." She took another look at Bankotsu's art. It was all in pencil but she could see a set of puppy dog ears with what looked like double piercings nestled in a mess of hair. "Oh. My. Gosh. That's Tana!"

Bankotsu lurched off the bench he had been sitting on and clamped his large hand over her mouth. "Yell it to the whole world, why don't ya?" he sneered. His hand only stayed on her mouth for a moment though before he wrenched it back making a disgusted "yak!" sound at the feel of her very slobbery tongue licking his palm.

Kagome smiled in the face of the Shichi clan leader's glare. It was so funny to think of one of Shikon Senior High's hardest, most delinquent students having a crush on _Tana_ of all people. TanaYasha, as in InuYasha's twin, Sesshomaru's little sister, happy-go-lucky bordering on silly, energetic like a squirrel on a combination of coffee, sugar, red bull, and straight caffeine Tana. The idea almost made her want to laugh but the look on Bankotsu had her laughter dying in her throat. He was glaring at her but not really out of anger and there was almost a hint of sadness or possibly hopelessness in his dark eyes. Kagome's face softened. "You know," she said with a friendly smile, "Tana's one of my best friends. Why don't you and your brothers sit with us at lunch today?"

For a brief moment something akin to joy flashed across Bankotsu's usually calm face. "Yeah," he said slowly, "that sounds like fun. What do you guys think?"

The rest of the Shichi brothers, in accordance to their closeness as a family, immediately agreed. "This is going to be great!" Jakotsu squealed. "I'll get to talk to InuYasha!"

Kagome had to laugh at that. Oh poor Inu. He had no idea what he was in for later. She almost felt sorry for him…except there was that time he shoved her into the pool when she was fully clothed and holding her favorite book…so, no, she didn't feel sorry for him what so ever.


	5. Trouble Makers

_**High School**_

**Higurashi Shrine-Home**

Fifteen year old Kikyo fisted her hands on her hips and glowered down at the two eleven year old boys sitting on the couch determinedly looking anywhere else but at their enraged sister. Off to the side sitting in the comfortably old armchair sat the eldest sibling, sixteen year old Kagome, watching the scene with mild interest; it wasn't often that Kikyo lost her cool. Then again, it wasn't often that the two youngest Higurashis pissed off their sister this much. Kagome wasn't exactly sure what they had done but it promised to entertaining.

"You two are the worst little brothers ever!" Kikyo practically growled.

Red haired Shippo shrunk a little bit into the couch. His big emerald eyes looked guilty and his kitsune tail twitched in agitation. Souta on the other hand smirked at Kikyo. "Aw come on Sis. It was funny."

That apparently was not the correct thing to say. "Funny?!" Kikyo shrieked. "It was funny to dump honey and feathers all over me and Makamoro-san?!"

_Ah_, Kagome thought as she munched idly on her bowl of popcorn, _that explains the feathers._

Kikyo snatched one of the offending white chicken feathers away from where it had drooped in front of her eyes. Thankfully the honey it was using to stay in her hair wasn't dry…yet. Kikyo grimaced as a string of honey stretched between her hair and the feather. "Do you know how long I've been trying to get him to ask me out?!" she glared at Souta and Shippo. "Months! And then what do you two horrible little brats do? You ruin it! I can't believe you two! Just you wait! I'll get you two back for this! You think I don't have anything on you? Hah! Just you wait!" And with another menacing look that should have made Souta and Shippo internally combust if the world had any sense of justice Kikyo whirled on her heel and marched out of the room. The other three Higurashi siblings knew from the stomping on the stairs and the eventual very loud slam of a door that she had gone to her room.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the two culprits who she now believed to be insane. "You two are dead," she said calmly.

Souta shot Kagome a cocky look. It was so reminiscent of InuYasha's Kagome made a mental note to keep her little brother away from her hanyō friend's corrupting influence in the future. "No we ain't," he said. _Yes_, Kagome decided with finality, _I must keep Souta away from InuYasha_.

"I beg to differ. Kikyo'll probably put baby pictures of you two up all around your school."

"Nah-uh."

Kagome studied Souta suspiciously. He was grinning triumphantly and oddly confident about his impending doom. She glanced to Shippo. He too didn't look all that worried about Kikyo's revenge. Their attitude spoke volumes on the intelligence. To be unworried about Kikyo when she takes it into her head exact revenge was like being unfazed by a category 5 hurricane, just plain stupid. Unless…

"Who bribed you to play that trick?"

Shippo, looking less guilty and more pleased with himself, answered. "InuYasha."

Kagome chocked on her popcorn. "What?! Why?"

Souta gave Kagome an are-you-stupid? look. "He likes her, duh."

Shippo nodded emphatically. "Yeah! And he didn't like that guy asking her out so he said he'd buy us the new World of Warcraft game if we ruined it."

Kagome clapped her hand over her mouth. She tried to keep from laughter, she really did, but it was just so hard. That InuYasha had bribed her little brothers to ruin Kikyo's date because he was jealous but too scared to do anything about his feelings was just priceless!


	6. 11th Grade

_**High School**_

**11****th**** Grade**

__Kagome shifted in her seat anxiously. She fiddled nervously with the hem of her white sundress. Beside her TanaYasha rolled her eyes and tried to concentrate on anything other than her friend's very annoying fidgeting and her strong desire to rip Kagome's arms from their sockets. Really, if the miko beside her wasn't such a good friend as to be considered a sister Tana would have gouged her pretty blue eyes out. As it was, Tana completely understood her friend's nerves. Kagome had spent the past six months studying abroad in an Exchange Student Program their high school offered. Today was, in fact, Kagome's first day back. She had been in America for the past six months and was intending for her appearance at Tana's older brother's graduation to be a big surprise for him.

There were no doubts in Tana's mind that Sesshomaru would be surprised when he saw her. Other than surprise she wasn't sure how else he would react, however. Since Kagome had been gone Tana had noticed a drastic change in her brother's attitude. Sure, he was still the pain in the ass he had always been but he had begun to withdraw and not just from outsiders but from the family too. Where he usually kept a stoic demeanor in public and let it go in private, he now kept his "Ice King" mask up all the time. It worried Tana. She had idolized her older brother when they were younger and some of that idolization still resided in her and it caused her to worry over his change. Tana desperately hoped and prayed to whatever Kami were listening that Kagome's return would change things with her big brother.

Kagome, for her part, had grown up a lot in the six months she had been gone. America had been good to her. Not only had she become more assertive and picked up what some Japanese called a slightly "Yankee" attitude, but the slight pudge around her midsection had disappeared courtesy of her membership of her American school's volleyball team, the longest portion of her thick, layered blue-black hair had grown down to her waist and she had gotten side bangs and her skin was sun-kissed enough to rival Sango's tan. She was still only 5'4" but she was slim and trim and several boys had already noticed.

Kagome shifted once again in her seat. She was so nervous. She hadn't talked to Sesshomaru in 4 months. Their communication had just sort of faded out two months into her Exchange Student-ship. What if he didn't want to see her? What if didn't think of them as friends anymore? Growing up there hadn't been a day they didn't see each other, let alone talk. Six months was a long time. What if he had found someone and fallen in love? Kagome's heart ached at the thought. She would, of course, be happy for him and wish him well and be nice to his chosen girl if that happened, but it would still hurt. She was beginning to regret her decision to surprise Sesshomaru at his graduation.

Tana tapped Kagome's arm and jerked her head towards the platform. An older, balding gentleman had stood up and was preparing to speak into the podium's microphone. Kagome's heart raced. No turning back now. This was it.

The man, who could only be the school's superintendent, spoke into the microphone, announcing the Student Council President. A silver haired man—she really couldn't call him a boy, Kagome realized—stood up from his seat and stepped onto the platform. When he turned to face the audience Kagome's breath hitched in her throat and when he began to speak in that smooth masculine voice that she loved so much she almost forgot to breath.

Usually Kagome would have been listening to every word of Sesshomaru's speech because she knew he probably worked very hard on it trying to get it just right, but after six months of not seeing him Kagome found herself unable to concentrate on anything other than him. She completely blocked out the words coming from his mouth as she studied him, taking in every detail. He hadn't really changed all that much since she last saw him at first glance, not even his hair was longer, but as Kagome compared every detail between how Sesshomaru looked and seemed now to how he had looked and been before she left the miko noticed small details that had changed, things that only those who had really known him for a very long time would notice. His magnificent golden eyes, for instance, were flat, cold, almost lifeless. He looked thinner, too, and although he still held himself with that same proud air there wasn't something quite right. It was almost like he was too…something. Kagome didn't really have a word for it.

After Sesshomaru's speech the superintendent returned to the stage, said a few more words and started calling names. To Kagome, this part of the Graduation Ceremony held no real value, it was just one more thing she had to sit through until she was able to get to Sesshomaru and ask him what the hell was wrong with him.

Finally the last of the graduating seniors—it happened to be Naraku—walked across the stage, received his diploma, shook hands with old Kaede-sama, the school principal, and returned to his seat. Kaede-sama then approached the podium, brought the microphone down to her level and said, "Congratulations this year's graduating class. Good luck in the future!"

There was an uproar before Kaede even managed to finish her sentence as the new graduates stood together and proceeded to throw their graduation caps into the air. Kagome noticed as she stood to applaud the students on their accomplishments with the rest of the spectators that Sesshomaru had not deigned to throw his hat up into the air. Instead, he took it off and calmly walked out of the auditorium. Kagome tracked him with her blue eyes until he was out of sight then turned to Tana. The two girls shared one look between them and that was all they needed. Tana tapped Kikyo who had been sitting on her other side and motioned for the door while Kagome gathered up her purse. Kikyo, in turn, got her boyfriend InuYasha, Tana's twin, moving and explained where they were going to Mama and Papa Tetsuki.

As a group the four teens made their escape to the parking lot where the new graduates were milling, talking to friends, making plans for parties later that night and looking for their families. It wasn't hard to spot Sesshomaru over the crowd, his silver hair was like a beacon, one which they easily followed.

They found him standing off the side talking to Naraku and Renkotsu, his closest guy friends. InuYasha reached him first. "It's about time your stupid ass graduated," he said gruffly.

Sesshomaru surveyed his younger brother. Technically they were half-brothers just like TanaYasha was Sesshomaru's half-sister and Rin was adopted, but InuYasha was the only sibling Sesshomaru ever made that distinction with. Not even Kagome really understood why though she had a sneaking suspicion it was to give InuYasha his own identity, but she kept that to herself. "What do you want, half-breed?" he asked calmly.

InuYasha growled but was cut off from yelling back by Tana who leaped at Sesshomaru. "Congrats Fluffy!" she yelled happily, hugging her brother around his chest.

In accordance to how he'd been treating Tana's exuberant hugs since the day she could walk he patted her head in between her fluffy white dog ears. "Thank you," he said coolly when she finally relinquished her grip.

Tana frowned at his tone, he had never used that tone on her before, but tried not to let her concern show on her expressive face. She stepped away from Sesshomaru, looking for the person she just knew could set her brother to rights. She found Kagome hanging towards the back of the group, trying to inconspicuously use Naraku and InuYasha, who were standing side-by-side, as a sort of shield between her and Sesshomaru. Tana sighed and grabbed Kagome's wrist. "Hey Sesshy!" she said loudly as she pulled Kagome forward. "Look who showed up!"

Kagome wanted to kill Tana at that moment but was prevented from carrying out any acts that might land her on trial for murder by Tana pushing her forcefully into the figurative spotlight. Kagome stumbled slightly in her Steve Madden wedges as Tana shoved her in front of Sesshomaru. The hem of her white sundress fluttered slightly around her knees as she straightened. Cursing her luck at having such pushy friends, Kagome took a deep breath and prepared to face her doom. Slowly she lifted her gaze up to Sesshomaru's.

Sesshomaru blinked in surprise when Tana shoved a black haired beauty at him. Without seeing her face he wasn't entirely sure who the girl was. He would have assumed she was his Kagome but his Kagome had left him to study in America so this couldn't possibly be her. Still, his heart and stomach started doing crazy things when the girl stumbled, straightened and lifted her brilliant cobalt eyes up to his golden ones. Air fled from his lungs faster than he would have thought possible as he stared at the girl.

Kagome smiled nervously up at Sesshomaru. "H-hi Sesshomaru," she said feebly.

"Kagome," he said, his voice as emotionless as his face.

Kagome frowned. Her best friend did not just use his you-are-not-worthy-of-my-time tone on her. "What? That's all you've got to say? No "happy to see you" or "I'm so glad you're back"?" she joked, trying to ease the tension that seemed to have enveloped their group. Crickets chirping were her answer. Anger started to rise in the short miko's chest.

Sesshomaru stared down at her, no emotion on his face or in his eyes. Everyone around them shifted nervously. You could practically cut the air with a knife the tension was so thick. _If that bastard doesn't do something soon Kags is gonna blow a gasket_, the mechanic-minded InuYasha thought as he watched the exchange. Even now he could practically see the lasers coming out of Kagome's eyes and the steam spilling from her ears.

The rather scary moment came to an abrupt halt when Renkotsu's brothers, Jak, Bank, Suikotsu, Kyokotsu, Mukotsu, and Ginkotsu, burst onto the scene. Kikyo let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as the boisterous brothers interrupted whatever had been going on between Sesshomaru and Kagome. For once she was glad the Shichi Brothers had put in an appearance. If they hadn't she was sure that something, something _bad_, would have happened.

Jak took one look at Kagome standing there in her fashionable white sundress and wedges, squealed with delight and then proceeded to hug the stuffing out of her. Kagome returned the hug happily, momentarily distracted by her flamboyant friend.

"Ohmygosh! I can't believe you're back! Why didn't you call me saying you were going to be here! Oh my gosh! I absolutely _love_ your outfit! You look amazing! Did you do something new with your hair? We've gotta have a Welcome Back party for you!"

Kagome, seeing her chance when Jak took a breath, quickly interrupted his seemingly endless chatter. "Sango and Miroku are already working on the party, Jak, that's why they're not here right now. It's gonna be a joint graduation/welcome back party at Miroku's house."

Jak grinned brilliantly, white teeth flashing. "Perfect! Miroku's house is huge! Now come one, you and I have some major gossiping to do and we've gotta get you ready for your party," he said as he began to drag her towards what she assumed was his car. Kagome, fearing ever so slightly for her life, grabbed Kikyo as she was pulled past. Tana, seeing what was happening to her two friends, waved goodbye to her brothers &co. and followed along behind Jak and his two captives laughing at the terrified looks on the poor miko's faces.


	7. After Party

_**High School**_

**After Party**

Kagome had been smiling and greeting all of the friends she hadn't seen in six months for the past three hours. Everyone she had spoken to seemed really happy to see her and she was happy to see them. After Jak had dragged her away he had taken her back to her house/Shrine and forced her into a pair of low-rise, hip hugger jeans and a purple belly shirt and had been practically squealed like the girl he dressed as when he saw her belly button ring. Jak had then proceeded to do her royal blue eyes in the style she had wanted him to teach her the day they first met (he still hadn't but there was hope). She had been getting compliments on the outfit and her general hotness all night, but not from the one guy she really wanted to notice her.

Sesshomaru had yet to make an appearance at his own graduation party. Kagome had been wandering the vast halls of Miroku's home for the past hour looking for him. _Stupid Fluffy_, she grumbled in her head, glaring down at the red solo cup she held in her hand. It was at times like these she wished she drank. With a cup of beer in her hand the time might have passed much more quickly, or at least she would have been having more fun. As it was, her red solo cup was full of Diet Coke. Kagome sighed and brought the plastic container up to her pink lip glossed lips and took a sip. The drink fizzled in her mouth pleasantly.

Unbeknownst to Kagome a pair of red, reptile eyes were watching her carefully from a corner. A menacing smile played across Susei Ryuko's thin lips as he eyed the young miko up and down. He was truly impressed by how much his arch nemeses' chosen woman had grown in the brief period she had been gone. She was almost…appetizing.

When the miko took another sip of whatever drink was in her red solo cup an evil though entered Susei Ryuko's mind. Without her beloved Sesshomaru to protect her and the remainder of her friends busy elsewhere, the miko was vulnerable. The dragon-youkai didn't believe that any miko had the ability to cause him any harm, plus, as an added bonus, there were other youkai here at this party and the miko would surely be hesitant to fight back if she thought innocent bystanders would be hurt. Miko were like that and it was that weakness Susei Ryuko intended to exploit.

Kagome felt the powerful yoki approach. She knew who it was just by the malicious aura that hovered around Susei Ryuko like a cloak. She turned to the dragon-youkai and tried not to flinch away from the slimy look he leveled at her. "Susei-kun," she said formerly.

"Ah, my dear Kagome, there's no need for such formalities. After all, we have known each other for a very long time."

Kagome felt like gagging. An involuntary shiver of disgust ran up her spine at Susei Ryuko's overall creepiness. Kagome knew all she needed or ever wanted to know about Sesshomaru's hated rival. Susei Ryuko had a reputation for not taking no for an answer and he hated Sesshomaru with ever fiber of his being. Kagome edged away from him, looking hopefully around for any of her friends. None were in sight.

Susei Ryuko took a menacing step forward, following Kagome as she backpedaled. "Come now, Kagome," he said her name in such a way that she wanted to go take a scalding hot bath to cleanse herself of his filth, "there's no reason for such shyness." He made to grab her wrist.

Kagome jerked back but she needn't have bothered. Another hand, pale and clawed, darted forward and closed around Susei Ryuko's forearm in a vice-like grip. "I suggest you leave Kag-chan alone," a voice snarled.

Kagome looked thankfully to her rescue, expecting to see Sesshomaru. The sight of the youkai who had protected her caused her eyes to widen in surprise.

Onigumo Naraku stood next to Susei Ryuko, holding onto the dragon-youkai's arm so hard that, if he wasn't youkai, Susei Ryuko's bones would have broken. Kagome blinked stupidly at Naraku. The spider-hanyō, while having never been outright mean or cruel to her, had also never stood up for her either. In fact, in their group of friends, he was the one most likely to tease her mercilessly. Now, to see him defending her Kagome felt a sudden surge of warmth in her chest for the older spider-hanyō she had never felt before.

Susei Ryuko glared at Naraku. He despised the spider-hanyō almost as much as he despised the Tetsuki brothers but a quick glance behind Naraku showed him that the spider-hanyō had backup. Not three feet away stood Shichi Bankotsu. The long purple diamond on the war mage's forehead glowed dimly in warning. Susei Ryuko, who would have no trouble defeating Naraku or Bankotsu on their own, knew better than to fight them both at the same time, especially Bankotsu because fighting him also meant fighting his six mage brothers as well and those boys could cause serious damage.

Susei Ryuko snarled and jerked his arm from Naraku's iron grip. With one last glare that would have killed just about anyone who hadn't grown accustomed to such looks by extended proximity with the Ice King himself, the dragon-youkai stalked away.

Kagome sighed in relief as she watched him go. Truly, his disgusting yoki had been suffocating for her. When he had he finally disappeared from their sight Kagome turned to her rescuers only to find Naraku had disappeared. The only one left of the dynamic duo that had saved her was Bankotsu. "Thanks, Bank," she said with a smile.

Bank smiled down at her, his purple diamond marking now back to normal. "It was our pleasure Kag-chan." Then, he frowned. "What are you doing all by yourself anyway? Where's Sesshomaru?"

A flash of sadness crossed Kagome's face. She quickly tried to cover it up with a seemingly nonchalant shrug. "I don't know."

Bank's frown deepened. It was unusual for Sesshomaru to allow Kagome to attend a party by herself. He was so protective and possessive of her he insisted in being within five feet of her at parties. To find her alone and Sesshomaru absent was strange.

"I don't think he's coming," Kagome added. She looked back down at her red solo cup in an attempt to hide the tears that had sprung to her eyes. This night was not going as the short miko had planned at all. Kagome had meant to make a dramatic entrance at Sesshomaru's graduation. She had also dreamed that at the sight of her Sesshomaru would be so happy that he would sweep her off her feet in an uncharacteristic display of affection. Sesshomaru's newfound coldness had completely thrown her off.

"Hey Tana," Bank called, seeing a white head topped with pierced dog ears through the open doorway.

Tana instantly backpedaled at her name, poking her head around the corner. "You rang?"

Bank waived her towards them. "Come 'ere."

Tana obliged, joining them in the mostly deserted hallway other than the couple randomly making out at the other end. "What's up?" she asked, flashing a fanged smile.

"Where's Sesshomaru?"

Tana shrugged. "Fluffy's at home," she said, using the nickname reserved explicitly for Kagome, Rin and herself.

Bank frowned. "Why? It's his graduation party too?"

Again Tana shrugged. "You know how he's been lately, all cold and stuff. He point blank refused to come hang out with the rest of us. He said, and I quote, he said "Why would I want to be surrounded by slobbering, bumbling fools?" I swear, he gets his bitchyness from his mom. It sure as hell doesn't come from Dad."

An increasing state of grumpiness had risen within Kagome at every word Tana uttered. With a huff she whirled on her heel and marched down the hall, tossing the red solo cup into a trashcan in one fluid movement as she passed. Bank and Tana watched her go. "Oooh," Tana cackled gleefully, "now Sesshy's gonna get it."

Bank raised a black eyebrow at his crush's strangeness but couldn't help but agree with her. Sesshomaru was most definitely going to get it.

Kagome barged into Sesshomaru's dark room not twenty minutes after she had left the party at Miroku's house. The room itself had changed over the years but one thing was still the same: it was pristine. Not a single piece of clothing littered the gray carpet, the desk was immaculately organized, the rolling chair pushed neatly under it. Even the bed was made though it was slightly rumpled because the over-six-foot-tall inu-youkai she sought was lying on it as he stared up at the ceiling.

Sesshomaru looked away from the ceiling at Kagome's entrance and his golden eyes narrowed.

"What the hell, Sesshomaru?!" Kagome demanded angrily.

"Who do you think you are to come barging into my room?" Sesshomaru snarled back.

Kagome growled. If InuYasha had been there he would have said that Kagome was definitely an inu. As it was, her impressive imitation had no effect on Sesshomaru. "Who do I think I am? I'm your best friend, Sesshomaru! Since when have I needed permission to come in here?"

Sesshomaru sat up and matched Kagome's glare.

"Furthermore, what the fuck is wrong with you? What the hell happened to make you such an asshole? I've been back in town a grand total of six hours and not once have you said, "Nice to see you, Kagome" or "I'm glad you're back, Kagome" or "You look good, Kagome" or, god forbid, "Hello"! The least you could have done was say hi! Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through to make sure I got back in time for your graduation?! School isn't even over in America right now but I made sure that I took all my finals, got all my credits transferred, all my stuff shipped back and booked an early enough flight so I wouldn't miss it! And what do you do? You ignore me! You fucking ignore me! So, I ask again, what the fuck is wrong with you?!" By the time Kagome was done she was panting. Really, she was so angry with the jerk off she wanted to beat him over the head with his baseball bat.

Sesshomaru let her yell herself out. Then, raising one perfect silver eyebrow, he said, "Wow. Impressive language Higurashi."

Kagome gave a strangled scream and reached for the Louisville Slugger placed neatly on the rack nailed to the wall.


	8. Slugger

_**High School**_

**Summer**

Kagome perused the racks and racks of baseball bats in the local sporting goods store idly. Her supposed "helpers" had disappeared over an hour ago, leaving her and Sango alone to try and figure out what kind of bat a certain icicle of an inu-youkai wanted. There were wooden bats, aluminum bats, bats of all different colors, short bats, longer bats, bats with the top hollowed out, bats with grips, bats without grips, and the list went on and on. The only Kagome and Sango knew for certain was that the bat she bought had to be a Louisville Slugger, which she assumed was a brand. Kagome sighed irritably. "Which one do you think he'd like?" she said loudly.

Behind her, Sango picked up an aluminum bat painted blue from the rack across the aisle, "How am I supposed to know?" She thumped the thick end against her palm experimentally. "Do you think this could do some damage?"

Kagome turned and gave Sango a look. "Seriously? It's a bat. Of course it'll do damage."

"Yeah, you're right." Sango grinned cheekily. She looked a little demented with the bat and scary grin. "So, why exactly do you need to buy Sesshomaru a new baseball bat?"

Kagome huffed. "That prick pissed me off. He was being a jerk and then I just started hitting him with his bat."

"Damn girl. What happened to you over across that ocean? I thought being violent was my thing."

"He just really pissed me off. He was being such an ass—more than usual," she quickly amended seeing the expression on Sango's face.

Sango laughed as she turned and placed the bat back on the rack. Kagome rolled her eyes and looked towards the wooden bats. She ran her hand along the polished handles and sighed. "Sesshomaru doesn't even play baseball. Why does he need a freaking bat?"

"Because he's psycho," Sango said helpfully.

Kagome growled. "You know what?" she said, whirling to face Sango.

"What?"

Kagome stomped out of the aisle, saying loudly, "I'm gonna order him his stupid baseball bat from the stupid factory and I'm gonna get his name carved onto the side and if he doesn't like it then screw him."

Sango laughed as she followed Kagome out. "Where did you get that idea?"

Kagome cast a smirk back at her. "Americans love online shopping."


	9. Disney

_**Post-Graduation**_

**Disney**

"So what do you want to do?" Kagome asked looking around her circle of friends.

Beside her Kikyo shrugged. "I don't know. It's your graduation party."

Kagome grinned. That was right. Higurashi Kagome was officially a high school graduate. Four long years, mountains of homework, one thousand bottles of Ibuprofen—if you knew her friends this would seem like a relatively small number in comparison to what you would expect—one sixth-month sojourn in America, countless college applications to universities both foreign and domestic, and one ridiculously long ceremony later Kagome finally had her diploma. She was ready to take on the world.

Rather than have an extravagant a-typical high school/teenage party to celebrate their graduation like the previous year, Jakotsu, Sango, Kagome, and Miroku—the graduates—had decided that they wanted to have a sleepover at Kagome's house. Originally it was going to just be the four of them plus Kikyo, Kagome's younger sister, but then Jak said he wanted to invite TanaYasha, his best friend, and if both Tana and Kikyo were going to attend there really was no point in not inviting InuYasha, Tana's twin and Kikyo's boyfriend. That was how all seven of them ended up sitting in a circle on the Higurashi's living room floor.

"Video games?" InuYasha said eagerly.

Kikyo gave him a withering glare. "This is their party, not yours. I seriously doubt they want to play video games."

InuYasha stuck out his tongue at her. Quick as lightning Kikyo's slim, pale fingers shot out and she grabbed his tongue, pinching it between her thumb and forefinger.

"'Ey!" InuYasha yelled.

"I told you the next time you stuck your tongue out you'd regret it."

"'_Anashi'e_!"

"Not till you say you're sorry."

"Le' goh o'an!"

"That didn't sound like you were sorry."

"You might as well apologize, Yasha," Kagome said calmly, a grin twitching at the corner of her pink lips.

"Noh 'ay!"

InuYasha continued to struggle amidst the laughter of his so-called friends, making incoherent sounds as he tried to pull his tongue free from Kikyo's vice-like grip.

"She can probably hold onto your tongue for hours," Tana said between giggles. A smirk lifted up one side of her mouth as she took sadistic glee in her twin's torture.

InuYasha stopped struggling. After a moment he said, "I 'ah'y."

Kikyo released his tongue. "Good," she said as she whipped the InuYasha slobber on her fingers onto his jeans.

InuYasha immediately reeled in his tongue and began to run it over his teeth as if to make sure it wasn't damaged beyond repair. Sango snorted as she watched the display of complete childishness. For as long as InuYasha had known Kikyo he should have realized by now that manners were a must in her presence.

"We could watch a movie," Tana suggested after the laughter had quieted.

"What kind of movie?" Miroku asked, a perverted gleam in his violet eyes.

One of Sango's deceptively delicate hands darted out and slapped the resident perverted _houshi_ on the back of the head. "Not that kind you _hentai_," she snapped. Miroku saw stars.

"What about a Disney movie marathon?"

"Oh my gosh!" Jak squealed. "That's a fantastic idea! You come up with the best ideas Kaggie!"

"What do you guys think?" Kagome asked Sango and Kikyo.

Sango nodded. "Sounds good. We haven't had a Disney marathon in ages."

"I'm game," Kikyo added.

"Alright-y then."

"_Chotto matte_! What about me and Miroku? Don't we get a vote?" InuYasha protested.

Five pairs of eyes, one blue, two brown, one black and one amber, fixed on him. The silly _inu-hanyō_ visibly shrank. "N-never mind," he said nervously.

Kikyo nodded and stood. "C'mon, Kags, let's go get your Disney collection."

Kagome quickly followed her younger sister out of the living room, Sango, Jak and Tana trailing after her. InuYasha could hear their feet thumping against the stairs. Once the group of Disney fanatics was out of earshot Miroku turned to his _hanyō_ friend. "Well, Yasha," he said with a grin, "do you think you'll ever learn to keep your mouth shut?"

* * *

**Japanese Translations**

_Hanashite _– "Let go (of me)"

_Houshi _– monk

_Hentai_ – pervert

_Chotto matte_ – "hold up/wait a moment"

_inu-hanyō _– dog half-demon

_hanyō _– half-demon


	10. Wager

_**Post-High School**_

**Wager**

Higurashi Kagome stretched her arms above her head as she stared languidly up at the ceiling. A small smile quirked up the corners of her full pink lips, slowly expanding into a full-force grin. Today was the first day of summer. Not only that, it was the first day of the summer after her graduation from high school. The ceremony had been yesterday and Disney movie-themed graduation slumber party had been last night. Kagome and her friends had watched Disney movies until they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer. The result had been a whole bunch of teenagers scattered all around in front of the TV in her living room and everyone save her seemed to have a cuddle buddy.

From her vantage point on the recliner she could see Sango curled up into her unofficial boyfriend Miroku's chest on the couch. He had one arm over her shoulders and the other wrapped around her waist in a very un-hentai position. Kikyo and InuYasha were snuggling on the pallet on the floor, her head resting just under his chin on his chest, his arms draped over her body and holding her close. The last two of their little group were TanaYasha and Jakotsu who were wound around each other next to Kikyo and InuYasha on the floor. As Jak was practically a girl and Tana was not-so-secretly in love with Bankotsu, Jak's older brother, their snuggling was completely innocent and not all that uncommon; Tana always claimed Jak was cuddly and smelled good—which Kagome completely agreed with—and Jak said that since he couldn't snuggle with InuYasha, Tana was a good substitute, plus she was fluffy.

Kagome pressed her lips together to keep from yawning; she didn't want to wake up InuYasha or Tana who were notoriously light sleepers. A glance at the clock on the wall told her it was 10 in the morning. She bit her lip. They were scheduled to meet the rest of their friends in just a few hours at the beach and everyone still had to go home and grab a change of clothes.

Sighing Kagome reached for her iPod, scrolled through her playlist until she reached "Barbie Girl" by Aqua which she had purchased off iTunes specifically for occasions liked this, turned the volume up to full blast, and hit play. The result was instantaneous. InuYasha and TanaYasha, whose sensitive ears made them hate that particular song with the burning passion of a thousand suns, sprang to their feet still half asleep and swearing profusely. The twins looked around wildly for the source of the "God-awful" screeching, as they called it, and when their matching amber eyes fixed on Kagome innocently holding her iPod their expressions soured.

"Turn that damn thing off!" InuYasha yelled.

Jak and Kikyo, who had both sat up as their heat source left them, glared at him. "Shut up InuYasha," Jak grumbled irritably, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His yell had also awoken Sango and Miroku and they both watched the interaction with bleary eyes.

Kikyo, being the polite _miko_ that she was, settled for a look of disdain. "Is that racket really necessary, Kagome?" she asked of her sister.

Kagome lost the battle to control her mirth. "Y-yes," she stammered between peals of laughter. "S-so w-worth it," and she collapsed into her chair, still giggling madly.

Tana, glowering down at her evilly cackling friend, snatched the cursed music player from her grip and punched the stop button. Instantly her ears stopped threatening to begin bleeding and she relaxed. "That was just mean Kags," she said irritably, returning the iPod to its owner.

"But funny," Kagome said cheerfully, taking the iPod back and setting it down on an end table.

"Why'd you wake us up?" Sango asked tiredly.

"Cause we're supposed to be the others at the beach in a couple hours and everyone still has to home and change clothes," Kagome explained as she stood, stretching her arms high above her head.

"Oh, right."

"Shall I escort you home, my dear Sango?" Miroku asked. Kagome didn't need be a mind reader to know what he was thinking, he had that too-charming tone going which always got him in trouble. To her surprise, however, Sango blushed a pretty pink and took his offered hand, allowing him to help her stand up. Together the two lovebirds said their goodbyes and left the Higurashi residence.

Kagome watched them go, a slight smile on her lips. "Bout time," she muttered.

"'Bout time' what?" Tana asked, pausing in her folding of the blankets and looking at her _miko_ friend.

"Oh, you know, bout time Sango started letting Miroku do his charming and romantic routine instead of just slapping him for it."

Kikyo snorted. "Bet it won't last," she said as she and InuYasha picked up the bowls of junk food they had left on the floor. It was a wonder Bouyo, their family cat, hadn't gotten into them.

"You know their destined for each other," Kagome countered as she stared picking up DVD cases and putting the disks back in.

"True, but they're not going to realize it for probably another two years."

"Yeah right," Kagome scoffed. "They'll figure it out way before then."

"Care to wager on it?'

Kagome's blue eyes flashed as they met her sister's calm brown one. There was nothing the two Higurashi sisters loved more than betting with each other; it was their form of sisterly bonding. Behind their back Jak, Tana, and InuYasha rolled their eyes. "What would you suggest?"

"I wager that Sango and Miroku won't become an official couple for at least another two years," Kikyo said.

"I wager Sango and Miroku officially become boyfriend and girlfriend by the end of our freshman year in college. The usual stakes?"

Kikyo nodded. "A year's supply of candy," she said and stuck out her hand. Kagome reached for it but at the last minute Kikyo said, "And there will be no interference of any kind. Neither of us are to encourage or discourage the development of Sango and Miroku's relationship in any way other than what we would do naturally."

Kagome nodded and gripped Kikyo's hand. The likelihood of one of them cheating was slim to none. They took their moral purity as _miko_ very seriously. "Done," the sisters said together.

Kikyo looked around at their audience and added, "You three are sworn to secrecy, of course," she said matter-of-factly. "Sango and Miroku will not find out about this bet, it could affect the outcome."

Reluctantly Jak, Tana and InuYasha promised not to tell their other two friends about the bet.

Kagome grinned. "Good," she said looking at Kikyo, "may the lucky _miko_ win."


End file.
